2 year old BP bit by rat on jaw please help

Hey everybody. Tried doing some research of my own and couldn't get anywhere and also brought my BP Pete to the vet - here's what happened and here's what I'm told.

So, 5 days ago i fed my BP the same size small rat I do every time. When Pete struck the rat he got the rat on the side then coiled around him. I then noticed that rat bit him right where the lower portion of the jaw meets the head. After he killed the rat he swallowed it about 90% - which he then spit it back out (which he never has done. I then noticed the left side of the jaw was not going back in. Me being in a panic rushed him right to the vet. With that being said I got to vet, explained everything to the doctor - he gave him a shot of antibiotics and said he would he on his own in 72 hours.

Being on the start of day 5 it is just as bad as it was when it happened. He is also packing the side of his mouth where it's open full of the substrate (Eco-Earth). I'm starting to get worried again and the doctor refuses to help me unless I pay him another 90 dollars to bring him in. I'm absolutely broke and can not afford to bring him back to the vet. I love this guy and don't want to see him suffer or be in pain. He is still active but I'm worried the substrate will cause some type of an infection. If anybody has any advice or if this has happened to you in the past please direct me in the right way. Thanks everyone!

Pictures are vital here! Close-up, in-focus shots are key. Also take him off the eco-earth immediately and put him on paper towels or newspaper. What he doesn't need right now is an infection. Humidity might take a hit, but keeping him and his enclosure clean is more important. Is the bite wound open? Is his mouth not closing?

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Originally Posted by Inarikins

Pictures are vital here! Close-up, in-focus shots are key. Also take him off the eco-earth immediately and put him on paper towels or newspaper. What he doesn't need right now is an infection. Humidity might take a hit, but keeping him and his enclosure clean is more important. Is the bite wound open? Is his mouth not closing?

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It is no longer a wound the opening itself is fully healed. But the jaw itself is not relocated. Will supply pics asap. And yes the jaw is still open

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Just cleaned his mouth out and removed bedding.

I would try and clear away some of that gunk, eco-earth is not meant to be staying in the mouth like that. You may need another set of hands to hold him. If after clearing it out it still looks puffy like that, you may have to go back to the vet, because if it's infected there's only so much you can do with betadine soaks, he might need more antibiotics. Others can chime in (others more experienced than me with snake injuries) but my first course of action would be to dump the eco-earth for paper towels then clear out his mouth as best (and gently) as you can.

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Originally Posted by WillNemeth90

Just cleaned his mouth out and removed bedding.

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How's his mouth looking after cleaning it out?

Yeah I just did so, he actually seemed very very docile wasnt to squirmish. He's a good BP. I removed bedding. His mouth isn't red, inflamed or oozing anything. Just his jaw is still out of wack.

I couldn't get a good photo with me holding his mouth open do to me only having 2 hands lol I will try and get a picture tomorrow with his mouth open if my roommate comes home.

I dont really have anything to add except poor guy! I hope he gets better! He is a good looking little man!

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Originally Posted by KryptBaby

I dont really have anything to add except poor guy! I hope he gets better! He is a good looking little man!

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Thank you!! Much a appreciated!

You're welcome, I know how you feel, I am very much the nervous new snake mommy... he squeaked like 3 times after being in his water bowl and of course i had to google that and make sure it was nothing to worry about cause obviously it was a RI... however, it was just some water and Im just a worry wart sometimes. I did have a thought, I have read somewhere about snakes not getting their jaws back into place after feeding, maybe this is the issue?

The vet never told me an exact reason why it was like that but that was my assumption as well. But I am concerned that the rat bit through the muscle I guess between the jaw lines. I'm not sure though. He is drinking water, moving around and his temperament hasn't changed at all. I'll give it til payday (Friday) and if his jaw doesn't look better back to the vet I go.

I would say after the bite and the wound was open, it possibly hurt to try to realign his jaw so he didn't. By the time it was healed enough to do so, the eco earth physically prevented him from doing so. After clearing it out, if there's no sign of infection, I would give him time to try to realign his jaw on his own. Does he seem to be trying to realign it, or is he just letting it hang open?

I barely see him during the day due to work and when I come home he's in a cave. I caught a few times yawning and pressing his head against the side of the tank but that is all.

Give him until Friday, monitor for signs of infection, and maybe in the meantime look for other herp vets in your area. $90 for an office visit is a lot. I pay $46 for a visit and at that point I can take as many animals in as I want. (Of course even re-checks are still $33 but whatever)

It's 90 just to walk in and his shot was 130 bucks.

I'm also not going to price tag on a living beings life as well. If I had the money id be there daily

It sounds like going back to the same vet is not likely to be helpful. See if you can find another herp vet in your area.

In the meantime, it is good that you now have him on paper towels. He may still be sore and that may be why he isn't realigning his jaw.

I had a snake that had a somewhat similar injury, although it wasn't from a bite, it was from her getting over-excited at feeding time and striking before the feeder was in her enclosure so she kind of smashed her lower jaw on the side of the enclosure. It took a few days, but it eventually fixed itself. Your snake does look a little worse than mine did though.

Anyway, I'd recommend waiting a few days and seeing it things get any better or not, now that you've eliminated the problem with substrate getting in there. That aligns well with you waiting until payday. Then make a decision based on what you are seeing.

Was the black coloring just the eco earth then? It could be that the jaw muscles were damaged, or that swelling from the trauma is preventing him from closing his mouth, or there is an access forming from either the bite or the injection afterward, or some other thing. I agree with Inarikins, keep him off the eco earth for now, in this case it's humidity retaining abilities are working against you since that also makes a nice environment for bacteria.

I applaud your dedication to your snake and your unwillingness to put a dollar value on his wellbeing, but I too am questioning why the vet costs are so high. My most expensive vet visit for a snake (at the exotic specialist vet) was $130 after tax, which included a physical exam, fecal exam, a dose of panacure, and two weeks worth syringes pre-loaded with baytril to inject her with. So $130 for a single injection (that doesn't appear to have helped) is causing some alarm bells to go off in my head.

If you get some one who can help I'd like to see some shots of the inside of his mouth, and an update of the jaw now that the eco earth is off if you can. I hope he's doing well today.

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Originally Posted by Badgemash

Was the black coloring just the eco earth then? It could be that the jaw muscles were damaged, or that swelling from the trauma is preventing him from closing his mouth, or there is an access forming from either the bite or the injection afterward, or some other thing. I agree with Inarikins, keep him off the eco earth for now, in this case it's humidity retaining abilities are working against you since that also makes a nice environment for bacteria.

I applaud your dedication to your snake and your unwillingness to put a dollar value on his wellbeing, but I too am questioning why the vet costs are so high. My most expensive vet visit for a snake (at the exotic specialist vet) was $130 after tax, which included a physical exam, fecal exam, a dose of panacure, and two weeks worth syringes pre-loaded with baytril to inject her with. So $130 for a single injection (that doesn't appear to have helped) is causing some alarm bells to go off in my head.

If you get some one who can help I'd like to see some shots of the inside of his mouth, and an update of the jaw now that the eco earth is off if you can. I hope he's doing well today.

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I'm sorry I meant I'm NOT going to put a price on Pete's life. Idc how much it costs me I'm not
going to just let him suffer, die or put him to sleep. The entire tank is immaculate and he is super active. I opened his mouth today again no redness or anything. The jaw seem to be slowly going back in place? Not
Sure I will snap some pictures tonight so we can relate to the ones from yesterday. The black packing you see in the side of his mouth is the Eco earth substrate. I removed every spec from his mouth last night. Thank you all again for the help!

[IMG]http://i1025.photobucket.com/albums/...B8E7A67ECE.png[/IMG]

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Originally Posted by Badgemash

Was the black coloring just the eco earth then? It could be that the jaw muscles were damaged, or that swelling from the trauma is preventing him from closing his mouth, or there is an access forming from either the bite or the injection afterward, or some other thing. I agree with Inarikins, keep him off the eco earth for now, in this case it's humidity retaining abilities are working against you since that also makes a nice environment for bacteria.

I applaud your dedication to your snake and your unwillingness to put a dollar value on his wellbeing, but I too am questioning why the vet costs are so high. My most expensive vet visit for a snake (at the exotic specialist vet) was $130 after tax, which included a physical exam, fecal exam, a dose of panacure, and two weeks worth syringes pre-loaded with baytril to inject her with. So $130 for a single injection (that doesn't appear to have helped) is causing some alarm bells to go off in my head.

If you get some one who can help I'd like to see some shots of the inside of his mouth, and an update of the jaw now that the eco earth is off if you can. I hope he's doing well today.

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Here is the pic of me opening his mouth poor lighting I know it's just difficult to do both at once when 2 of my roommates are deathly afraid of snakes.

Ok we need someone better with mouth anatomy to chime in, because I've never seen the trachea sitting at that angle before, maybe it's normal to displace like that (I do not have the experience to say with certainty, maybe he's just sitting funny and moves more than I thought or something?) but it looks quite alarming to me.

And I knew what you meant dollar-wise, I just don't want to see you get ripped off when you're trying to do the right thing.

In bigger snakes that swallow things bigger than just rabbits (I watched Crocodile Hunter obsessively when I was little) I've seen the windpipe even flop out of the mouth. When snakes' mouths are closed, the trachea lines up with their nostrils so it makes sense that if he can't breathe through his nose because he can't close his mouth, his trachea would be looser in his mouth so he can breathe more easily.

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I am no expert but from that picture the trachea looks to be dislocated.:confusd:

Does he any trouble breathing?

I don't believe so? He seems to be breathing and acting normal - maybe I was pushing it when I was holding his mouth open with the q-tip? And he jaw is starting to slowly move back into place! :) will be taking him to vet tomorrow just to be 120%

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Originally Posted by WillNemeth90

I don't believe so? He seems to be breathing and acting normal - maybe I was pushing it when I was holding his mouth open with the q-tip? And he jaw is starting to slowly move back into place! :) will be taking him to vet tomorrow just to be 120%

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I will be sure to ask him about the trachea as well

Any news? :confusd:

yes! Any news or updates?

Poor guy. Hope he gets better.